Means for producing dense concrete articles



April 14, 1931. c, PELTON MEANS FOR PRODUCING DEN-SE CONCRETE ARTICLES Filed 001;. 8, 1927 Patented Apr. 14, 193i Joan corrnRrELroN, or'sAN'rA BARBARA, oALInoRNIA, ssIeNoR T rR nz RoenRs BABCOCK, or SANTA BARBARA, oAmroRnIA substantially uniform density, including the p MEANS FOR ERODUCING DENSE CONCRETE ARTICLES Application filed October 8, 1927. Serial rt. 224,826.

This invention relates to a method of and means for producing dense concrete products, and is morep-articularly related to a method of producing concrete articles of filling of a mold with concrete and imparting to said mold before the concrete therein has set a non-directional oscillation. I

In the production of concrete products, many efiorts have been made in order to provide a means and method of increasing the density of the products by causing the constituents of the concrete to settle uniformly. The most successful 'method'that, it is'believed, has' heretofore been proposed is the tamping of a so-called dry mix in amold in order to 'force the constituent parts of the concrete together. Resort has also been made to bumping or jarring themeth'ods in order to cause settling of the concrete. The difi'iculty encounteredwith this last method is that it separates the heavier constituents from the lighter, causing the heavier constituents to settle to the bottom of the concrete in the mold, leaving the light or finer particles on the top-of the product, thereby producing an article of non-uniform density and likewise o f non-uniform strength.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a method of producing concrete articles of substantially a uniform density and-strength. 1 1 I Another object of this invention to provide a inet'hod of producing concrete artic les of substantially uniform density and strength which includes thefilling-of a mold with concrete 'andimparting to the concrete "in said mold before the same has set a nondirectional oscillation. i

Another object of this invention is to pro-' vide a means for producing concrete articles of substantially uniform density and strength including aframe, means for freely sup-porting the frame, and means operable in connection with said supporting means for imparting to'said frame a non-directional oscillation. t 0

Other objects and advantages of this in- 'vention,'it is believed, will be apparent from the following detailed description of a. preferred embodiment thereof. The means for carrying out the method embodying this invention are in their preferred form illustrated .in the accompanying drawlngs.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an oscillator embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevationthereof taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig ure 1.

' Figure 3 is a sectional end elevation taken substantially on the line 3- -3 of Figure 2.

- Figure 4 is a sectional plan view taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 3.

I have discovered that substantially-uniform density may be obtained in concrete products if during the setting of the same or after the concrete has been poured into the molds, the concrete and molds aresubjected for a short period of time to a rapid oscillatory motion whichsis non-directional. In using the term non-directional, I am employing the same to indicate that the 0scillations transmitted through the-means embodying this'invention, does not producein the concrete in said molds a directional tend ency of the heavier constituents of the concrete to travel in any one direction in said molds. I have found that such a non-directional oscillation may be obtained by oscillating a frame upon whichthe concrete article is supported in its mold, the frame being oscillated in one direction and supported loosely to permit the same to move freelyin all directionsand the frame which isbeing oscillated being also slightlyout of balance on its respective supports, so that the oscillations imparted to the frame due to the un-' equal balance of the frame upon its free supcally all directions uniformly,

In accordance with the method embodying this invention concrete, preferably of a wet mixture, is placed in amold 1 which is supported'ona frame 2. The frame 2 is then givenan oscillatory motion through supporting means acting-in conjunction with the power driven means for imparting motionto .said frame 2 inqsuch amanner that the supportmg means and oscillating means cooperate together to oscillate the frame 2 to produce in the concrete mold 1 a non-directional oscillation, causing the concrete to settle in the mold 1 to a substantially uniform density and strength in a very short period of time. The use of the mold embodying this inven tion permits the concrete products to be formed of what is known as a wet mixture while the carrying out ofthis method produces a product of relatively great density and strength in that it causes the component particles of the concrete to settle extremely closely together while also not permitting directional setting of the heavier and lighter particles, thereby producing a dense prodnot which is of uniform density and uniform strength throughout.

The means provided in accordance with this invention'for imparting to the frame 2 a non-directional oscillatory motion preferably include blocks 8 which are secured to the frame 2 at its corners and are provided with feet 1, which are freely supported in balls 5 in a ball and socket oint 6. The frame 2 is supported in the same manner at each of its four corners so that the supporting means for only one-of said corners will be described. The ball and socket joint is mounted in a casing 7 to which a cap 8 is secured. The shank of the leg/1 extends through holes formed in said cap 8. The

cap 8 is provided with a circumfere-ntially' advantageously. The casing 7' is secured to a concrete pier 11 by means ofbolts 12. The balls 5 and 10 may be formed of rubber or like resilient, flexible material.

v Means are provided for imparting an 0s cillatory motion to'the frame 2, which means preferably comprise a motor 13 which is supported upon a concrete pier 1 1. The shaft 15 of the motor 13 is secured through a flexible hose coupling 16 with a shaft 17 journaled in hangers 18 secured to the frame 2.

\ Mounted on the shaft 17 at spaced points are over-balancing weights '19 and 20 which may 'be-formed of weighted wheels mounted eccentrically on the shaft 17. The over-balancing weight 19 is mounted eccentrically on the shaft 17 in one position and the over-balancing weight 20 is mounted on the shaft 17 in a position preferably 180 away from the over-balancing weight 19; V

The operation of the oscillatory means embodying this invention is: The motor 13 is set in operation and acts to rotate the shaft 17 through the flexible coupling 16. The

over-balancing weights 19 and 20 impart to the frame 2 a vibratory or oscillating motion which is directional in character vertically. The free supporting of the frame 2 by the feet 4 on the balls 5 and the fact that the frame 2 will never be accurately balanced with a mold 1 thereon, tends to cause said frame to oscillate substantially in every direction which oscillatory motion :is permitted by the flexible coupling 16. "The feet 4 are permitted to oscillate on the balls 5 by the flexible members 10 which yieldably hold the shanks'of said feet the feet t-tendin-g to roll on the balls 5 in a manner to cause the shanks thereof to wobble freely between the members 10." The'supporting of the frame 2 in the manner heretofore described on the ball joints 6 functionstogether with the oscillatory means provided for oscillating the frame 2 to impart tothe frame2, and hence to the mold 1 and concrete therein,'a nondirectional oscillatorymotion which causes the concrete in the mold 1 to settle to form a dense product without imparting to the concrete a directional oscillatory motion which wouldtend to cause the heavier par; ticles of the concrete to 'settle out inthe direction of said directional oscillation.

The oscillation of the concrete in a non directional manner, as heretoforespecifically pointed out, causes the aggregates of the concrete or other similar material to displace the water and air to fill the voids which. would otherwise be present in the concrete after setting due to the drying outor absorption of the water-and the holes left in the prod? not by the entrained air. The causing of'the particles of the concrete to. oscillate in a non? directional manner insures that all 'of'the 'water} and air which is not needed for the setting of the concrete ,will be displaced uniformly, causing the particles to interlace to form a very dense product... Merely bumping the concrete vertically will cause displace.-. ment of the watereand air to some extent but will not cause theintimate interlacing of the particles of the concrete and the complete elimination of the excess. water and the entrained air which is'causedby oscillating the concrete in a non-directional manner,-as there will be no tendency to move the particles horizontally to cause interlacing thereof as will fresult from theoscillation of the particles in the manner heretoforedesc'ribed. 4 Having fullydescribed my invention, it

is to be. understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details offconstruction of the apparatus herein described, nor to the application of the method embodying this inven-' tion to the settling of or forming of concrete products, but this invention is also applicable to the formingv of other dense products such, for example, as molded; products of diatomaceous earth, and the like, and my invention is of the full scope of I- claim: e

the appended claims; I 1; In a device of theclass describedg-the combinationof avframe,--a balliand socket supporting means for said frame, and means for imparting an oscillatory motion to said 7 frame supported on said balls and sockets.

2. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a frame, means for supporting the frame to permit freedom of movement of the frame in any direction, said supporting means including housings, legs secured to the frame, ball and socket joints freely connecting the legs and housings Within the housings, andvmeans operably connected with the frame for imparting an oscillatory non-directional movement to the frame as supported.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a rectangular frame, means for supporting the frame at its corners to permit freedom of movementof the frame, said means including legssecured to the frame,

foundation sup orts at the corners of the frame, flexible all and socket connections between the foundations and legs, means operably connected with the frame through a flexible coupling for imparting an oscillatory non-directional motion to the frame.

motion of each leg, shaft journals and beara ings secured to the frame, eccentric weights secured to the shaft in opposed relation, a

motor for driving the shaft and a flexible coupling connecting the motor and the shaft.

Signed at Los Angeles, Calif, this 28th day i of Sept, 1927. 1 JOHN CUTTER PELTON. 

